Method of making spun multi-wire articles

ABSTRACT

The method includes the steps of twisting at least some of the wires making up the article, so as to reduce these wires to the plastic-flow state; spinning all said wires of the article together and subsequently subjecting these wires to plastic-flow compression in the spun condition of the wires, by drawing them through a compressing device.

United States Patent [1 1.

Glushko et al.

[4 1 July 16, 1974 METHOD OF MAKING SPUN MULTl-WIRE ARTICLES [76] Inventors: Mikhail Fedorovich Glushko,

prospekt Shevchenko, 15/5, kv.l7; Viktor Klimentievich Skalatsky, prospekt Gagarina, 2, kv.21; Emmanuil Filippovich Anastasiadi, ulitsa Schepkina, 17, kv.2; Jury Lvovich Davydov, ulitsa K. Libknekhta, 43, kv. 19, all of Odessa, U.S.S.R.

[22] Filed: Feb. 29, 1 972 [21] Appl. No.: 230,321

[52] US. Cl. 57/166 [51] Int. Cl .l D07b 3/00 [58] Field of Search 57/9, 138, 156, 161, 166

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Harris 57/l38 X 2,503,987 4/1950 Anderson 57/138 3,083,817 4/1963 Campbell 57/138 X 3,345,810 l0/l967 Weisnagrotzki eta. 57/166 X 3,388,543 6/1968 Downton 57/166 X 3,641,755 2/1972 Heinen et al. 57/166 X Primary ExaminerDonald E. Watkins Attorney, Agent, or FirmWater, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [S 7] ABSTRACT The method includes the steps of twisting at least some of the wires making up the article, so as to reduce these wires to the plastic-flow state; spinning all said wires of the article together and subsequently subjecting these wires to plastic-flow compression in the spun condition of the wires, by drawing them through a compressing device.

3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures METHOD OF MAKING SPUN MULTl-WIRE ARTICLES The present invention relates to rope and cable production, and, more specifically, it relates to the production of multi-wire articles such as ropes, cables, flexible hoses and various combinations of such articles, either competely plastically compressed, i.e., compressed to the plastic-flow state, or comprising plastically compressed strands of wires, or else including at least one plastically compressed layer of wires.

There is a known method of producing multi-wire plastically compressed strands for cables, according to which the wires are spun into an article, whereafter the article is plastically compressed by being drawn through a compressing device, (see the USSR Inventors Certificate No. 55,676, Class 21 c, 3 1/Ol-04, priority year 1938 There is also known a method disclosed in the Great Britain Pat. No. 794,4l1, Class 83/4l, priority year 1953, which method is practically similar to that disclosed in the USSR lnventors Certificate No. 55,676. The method disclosed in said British Patent also entails spinning a plurality of wires into a strand and compressing them under plastic-flow compressing conditions, by drawing the spun article through a compressing die.

As a result of the plastic-flow compression the strand spun from round wires is compacted, and all the wire thereof are given a correlated shape closely hugging the adjoining wires.

In this way the diameter of the strand is reduced, while the inter-wire contact area and the degree of the filling of the cross-section of the strand with metal are increased.

However, in both said known methods a comparatively great force is necessary to draw either an individual strand or the entire article through the compressing device, which results in considerable over-straining of the drawing mechanisms and of other workperforming assemblies of ropeand cable-making machines; moreover, the magnitude of this force puts certain limitations as to the size of the articles produced and the degree of the plastic-flow compression thereof.

lt is an object of the present invention to provide a method providing for the reduction of the load applied to the work-performing members and assemblies of the abovementioned machines and for increasing the effectiveness of the use of such machines; i.e., providing for stepping up the size of the articles produced, as compared with those produced by' the above known methods, with the same degree of the plastic-flow compression, or else for increasing the degree of the plasticflow compression with the same diameter of the article.

There is now proposed a method of making spun multi-wire articles, such as ropes, cables and the like, comprising the steps of spinning the plurality of wires and plastically compressing them in the spun state by drawing them through a compressing device. In accordance with the present invention, at least some of the wires making up the article-t be are reduced, prior to the spinning thereof, to the plastic-flow state by being twisted.

It is preferable to twist the wires through one full revolution per length thereof corresponding to a single pitch of the spinning.

The application of the herein disclosed method provides for the reduction of the force of drawing of the article due to the deformation of at least some of the wires of the articles into the plastic-flow state, which, in its turn, reduces the load applied to the workperforrning members and assemblies of ropeand cable-making machines and thus ensures more effective operation of such machines, namely, enables the machines either to produce articles of greater diameters with the same degree of the plastic-flow compression, of to produce articles of the same diameter with a greater degree of compression.

The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of a method embodying the invention with reference to the sole FIGURE of the accompanying drawing in which is represented a general diagrammatic view of a machine for accomplishment of the disclosed method.

In accordance with the herein disclosed method, embodying the invention, a plurality of wires (1) for the production of any of the abovementioned articles, (2) wound on the respective supply spools (3) mounted within the framework (4) of the machine, are drawn off these spools by a wire-drawing mechanism (5) and are, in the course of being thus drawn off, twisted by a certain amount sufficient for reducing the material of the wires into the plastic-flow state. Either all the wires are thus twisted, or only some of them.

After the twisting the wires making up the article-tobe are spun in spinning dies (6) mounted in a die holder (7) situated between the housing (4) of the machine and the drawing mechanism (5).

The spun article is subjected to the operation of plastic-flow compression by being drawn through a compressing device (7). The latter may be in the form of either solid or built-up nozzles; it also may be in the form of compressing rollers, as well as in the form of other rolling devices and similar apparatus for pressure-treatment of articles. The compressing device (8) may be mounted directly downstream of the spinning dies (6), or else it may take the place of the spinning dies altogether. In the last-mentioned case the compressing device (8) combines the functions of the spinning device and of the compressing device.

The spun and plastically compressed article is drawn from the compression zone by the drawing mechanism (5), whereafter it is wound onto a take-up bobbin (9) by a suitable winding mechanism (10).

The degree of the twisting of the wires is selected to correspond to the material of the wires. The twisting of the wires by the appropriate amount can be effected by the corresponding machines for the production of ropes and cables, provided these machines incorporate a differential drive. Alternatively, it is possible to effect the twisting of the wires in machines not provided with a differential drive, by rigidly securing the axes of the supply spools to the framework of the machine.

In this case the supply spools would rotate not only about their respective axes, but also together with the housing of the machine. As a result, the wires would become twisted through an angle corresponding to one full revolution per length corresponding to one spinning pitch, i.e., through 360.

It has been experimentally established that in most cases the twisting of the wire through one full revolution is sufficient to reduce the material of the wire to the plastic-flow state.

Consequently, the design of the ropeor cablemaking machine might need no additional reconstruction, i.e., it can do without a differential drive. Moreover, it becomes possible to considerably simplify the structure of the machine.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of making spun multi-wire articles, such as ropes, cables and the like, said method comprising the steps of: twisting at least some of a plurality of wires making up said article so as to reduce said wires to a plastic-flow state; spinning the entire said plurality of wires to form said articles and while said at least some of the plurality are in plastic-flow state; and then subjecting all of said wires to plastic-flow compression in the spun state of said wires by drawing said wires directly spun. 

1. A method of making spun multi-wire articles, such as ropes, cables and the like, said method comprising the steps of: twisting at least some of a plurality of wires making up said article so as to reduce said wires to a plastic-flow state; spinning the entire said plurality of wires to form said articles and while said at least some of the plurality are in plastic-flow state; and then subjecting all of said wires to plastic-flow compression in the spun state of said wires by drawing said wires through a compressing device while the wires previously in said plastic flow state remain in said state when subjected to the plastic-flow compression whereby to reduce the force to draw the wires through the compressing device.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least some of said wires are twisted through one full revolution per length thereof corresponding to a single pitch of said spinning.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wires, after twisting at least some thereof, are all thereafter directly spun. 